First man extradited over insider dealing charges takes the stand

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Steve Dinneen

THE first man to be extradited to the UK to face insider trading charges made his preliminary court appearance yesterday.

Singaporean Helmy Omar Sa’aid, 33, who was extradited to Britain from Mayotte, a French territory in the Comoros Islands, appeared at Southwark Crown Court.

The appearance precedes a full trial over allegations he was involved in a complex insider dealing ring with a married couple.

The couple are also due to appear after being accused of masterminding an insider trading operation spanning almost a decade. They are currently out on bail. Former Dresdner Kleinwort adviser Christian Littlewood, 36, who worked for Shore Capital at the time of the alleged illegal deals, stands accused of 13 counts of insider trading, alongside his Singaporean wife Angie, 39. The married couple are accused of scamming a staggering £670,000 through trading AIM listed shares. The pair will now appear at Southwark Crown Court on 28 June.

All three are expected to plead not guilty. The FSA has so far secured five convictions related to insider dealing across three cases since March 2009.